Figure 1.--This undated portrait was almost surely taken in the 1890s. Until the 1880s only younger boys wore knee pants. This began to change somewhat in the 1880s, escpecially the late 80s. It was, however, not until the 90s that you commonly see older boys wearing knee pants.

Knee pants appeared in the mid-19th century . We note younger boys wearing fancy suits with shotenebned-length pants--both bloomer knickers and knee pants. Impages from the 1850s are difficult to obrain, but we seem to see more bloomer knickers than knee pants. This changed and in the 1860s we see quit an number of boys wearing knee pants. Knee pants in the 1860s became an increasingly important type of pants for boys. Theyv were commonly worn by younger boys with cut-away jackets. Knee pants increased in popularity as the 19th century progressed, especially in urban areas. We see many boys wearing knee pants Fauntleroy and sailor suits were commonly worn with knee pants. Sailor suits might be worn with long pants, but Fauntleroy suits were almost aways worn with knee panrts. Knee pants suits in the 1880s were common, but mostly younger boys. Knee pants were very widely worn at the turn of the 20th century. We notice most American boys wearing knee pants suits in the 1890s and 1900s. Amd for the first time we see older boys wearing them. Knee pants were paticularly common in the 1890s and 1900s and even older teenagers wore them. Knee pants began going out of style in the 1910s as boys began to more commonly wear knicker suits. We see younger boys wearing knee pants suits into the 1920s after which boys began wearing short pants. Knickers were, however more common.

The 1840s

We are not sure about pants in the 1840s. We think most boys wore long pants. Some boys from fashionable families may have worn fancy suits with bloomer knickers. We are less sure about knee pants.

The 1850s

Knee pants appeared in the mid-19th century. Until mid-centuryb boys of all ages mostly wore long pants. We note younger boys wearing fancy suits with shotenebned-length pants--both bloomer knickers and knee pants. Impages from the 1850s are difficult to obrain, but we seem to see more bloomer knickers than knee pants.

The 1860s

This changed and in the 1860s we see quit an number of boys wearing knee pants. Knee pants in the 1860s became an increasingly important type of pants for boys. Theyv were commonly worn by younger boys with cut-away jackets. Knee pants increased in popularity as the 19th century progressed, especially in urban areas.

The 1870s

Rge sack suit became the satandard suit for boys in the 1870s. We see some boys wearing sack suits with knee pants in the 1870s. They were increasingly common for younger boys, especially in fashionable big cities. Long pants were still more common for boys. All older boys wore long pants and they were still almost universal in rural areas.

The 1880s

The Fauntleroy suot appeared during the 1880s. Fauntleroy suits were almost always worn with knee pants. Fauntleroy suits were never made with long pants. In Europe they ere often worn with bloomer knickers, but not in America. Sailor suits began to be more popular in the 1880s. Sailor suits were worn with both knee pants and long pants. We note boys wearing both collar buttoning and sack suits in the 1880s. The collar-buttoning suits were for younger boys and thus more commonly worn with knee pants. We see more boys wearing sack suits with knee pants as well in the 1880s, but as sack suits were worn by older boys, they were commonly worn with long pants during the 1880s. Boys up to about age 10 commonly wore knee pants suits, especially in cities where mothers tended to mose fanshion concious. Gradually during the 80s we see more boys wearing knee pants and to an older age. They also became more common in rural areas, at least in the cities located in rural areas. By the end of the century we begin to see some boys up to 12-13 years wearing knee pants suits.

The 1890s

American boys primarily wore long pants in the 19th century. And for the first time we see older boys wearing them. Knee pants appeared at mid-century, but were primarily worn by younger boys--mostly boys from fashionable families in the big cities. Lsrge numbers of boys did not begin wearing knee pants until the 1880s, but again mostly younger boys. This changed dramatically in the 1890s. Not only do we see more boys wearing knee psnts, but we see older boys wearing them. Not only do we see younger teenagers commonly wearing knee psnts, but we see some teenagers wearing into their mid- and in some cases older-teen years. The shidt is quite dramatic and we have no idea just whyb it occurred. It wasn't a European influence as most teenagers in Europe except some younger teens wore long pants in the 1890s. Perhaps riding affluence was a factor, but we are not at all sure. The number oand age of boys wearing knee pants suits continued to increase during the decade. Knee pants were as a result, very widely worn at the turn-of-the 20th century. We notice most American boys wearing knee pants suits in the 1890s and 1900s. We see some knicker suits, but knee pants were by far the most common. We almost always see boys wearing them with long stockings, mosdtly black long stockings. This also was a variance from Europw where msny boys wore socks.

The 1900s

Knee pants continued to be the dominant style of trouser for boys in the 1900s. We see this in both catalogs ahd the photographic record. Almost always the knee pants had three button trim at leg hem. They were cut at lnee level. We see little variation in length, althoiugh some boys out grew their knee pants. We see boys of all ages wearing them. Even older teenagers might wear knee pabnts them if still in school. They were common even in high school. We see some boys weating knicker suits, but they were not very common until the later years of tghe decade. We je them being described as straight-leg knee pants. They were often cut qyu\te tight , in sharop contrast to knickerts. Knee pants suits were usually worn with long stockings. Wecdo not see boys wearing tghem with socks as was common in Europe, but some boys did go barefoot at the time, edven wjen dressing up in suits. This was most common in the South. We begin to see knickers becoming more popular in the late 1900s. By the end of the decade we see knickers rapidly increasing in popularity, although a few boys were still wearing knee psnts suits in to the 1910s. American and European suits were similar in the 1900s. This only befgan to chsnge in the 1910s. We are not sure why knee pahts rapidly when out of style in the late-1900s and knickers suddenly became more popular. Perhaps it was just the need for a new style. Or perhaps someone helped to populsrize the new style. We just do not know at this time.

The 1910s

Knee pants suits began going out of style in America during the late-1910s as boys began to more commonly wear knicker suits. This change occurred very rapidly. We still commonly see knee pants suits in 1907 and 08. We also see knicker suits, but they were much less common. Suddenly in 1909 we suddenly see large numbers of knicker suits. And by 1910, knickers were the dominabt style. We are not sure why this change occurred and who was responsible for it. We have not yet d=found written references describing this basic and rapid chnge. It was an American development. It did not occur anywhere in Europe. In fact we still see European boys wearing knee pants suits into the 1930s. We note knee pants suits were especially common for formal suits to be worn for special occassions. Abnd knickers were never as coimmon in Europe as they bcame in aMeerica during the 1910s-30s. Knee pants did not disaopear in America. We see younger boys continuing go weak knee pants, but often not as part of a suit.

The 1920s

Knee pants largely went out of style in America during the 1920s. We see younger boys wearing knee pants suits into the 1920s after which boys began wearing short pants. Knickers were, however more common. Most boys in the 1920s had knicker suits, but we see still see some knee pants suits. Most were juvenile styles made for younger boys. We note sailor and Oliver Twist styles. Oliver Twist suits were made for younger boys and done with button-on styling. We see some Norfolk suits for school-age boys done with knee pants in the very early 20s, but mostly we see knee pants suits made in juvenile styles for boys uo to about 6-7 years of age. Older boys wore knicker suits. We also see short psnts suits, but these were more popular in particularly affluent families, often with British connections than the average American family. American trends were somewhat different than those in Europe. Knickers were not near as possible and we see knee pants still being worn, although this varied from country to country. Many boys began wearing short pnts suits in Europe, but we note that many boys had knee pants suits for formal occassions. Younger boys might wear ankle socks, but most school-age boys wore long stockings with these suits.

Created: 2:58 AM 12/10/2007
Last updated: 5:58 AM 4/24/2012